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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. I'm speechless upon completing this book. My high school English teacher recommended it to me 8 years ago, and as idiotic as I feel for not reading it sooner, I'm so glad I was able to take time in the present to relish in this masterpiece of literature. I've not read many other authors whose command of language I envy so instantly and thoroughly as Barbara Kingsolver. I feel like my perspective as a writer has shifted significantly thanks to this book. Truly such an epic - thrilling, haunting, devastating, beautiful, and overall just an awe-inspiring work of art and storytelling.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has been on my TBR since 2009. I don’t know why I waited so long to read it, but I’m happy I read it when I did. After spending 3 years writing a dissertation that explores whiteness, I was able to notice Kingsolver’s own commentary and exploration of whiteness in this novel which I would’ve overlooked prior to my PhD. I found this novel fascinating in that regard and the fact that only one of the daughters is even cognizant of the power and privilege of her whiteness rang all too true. It’s only after she starts a relationship with a Congolese man that she becomes aware of it. The academic in me wants to write an article about it.
The reader in me loved this book for its rich character development, the use of multiple perspectives, and the fact that the father, Nathan Price, doesn’t get a voice while his wife and daughters do. I think I would’ve hated him even more if I had to be inside his mind. I blame him entirely for the death of Ruth May. His kind of Christianity is why I’m atheist.
Overall, an enthralling saga of missionaries in the Congo (Zaire). Highly recommend.
The reader in me loved this book for its rich character development, the use of multiple perspectives, and the fact that the father, Nathan Price, doesn’t get a voice while his wife and daughters do. I think I would’ve hated him even more if I had to be inside his mind. I blame him entirely for the death of Ruth May. His kind of Christianity is why I’m atheist.
Overall, an enthralling saga of missionaries in the Congo (Zaire). Highly recommend.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Decided to reread one of my all time favourites and it didn’t disappoint. The undoing of a family taken to the Congo in 1959 by their Baptist missionary father told from the perspectives of his wife and 4 daughters. It’s astonishing how different these perspectives are. Its so well put together, the characters (and I see the Congo as one) leap out of the page. There’s a lot to learn from this book, about Africa, colonialism and US intervention in particular. Well worth a second read 20 years later.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Barbara Kingsolver is incredible! I can’t imagine what it takes to write a book like this. If you like a book that focuses on character development this would be it! Long read but well worth it. Learned a ton about the Congo, that I knew little about. I also really enjoyed how she spoke about the US Foreign involvement in Africa and the harm that it caused.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated